From Corporate to Startup: David Fannin's Journey Building Kino

In this episode of Guidance Counselor 2.0, host Taylor Desseyn spoke with David Fannin, CTO and co-founder of Kino, about his transition from corporate engineering management to startup life. David's unique journey from a restrictive childhood to building cutting-edge film technology offers valuable insights into career pivots, team building, and the evolving nature of engineering roles.

The Unlikely Origin Story

David Fannin's path to film technology began in an unexpected place. Growing up in a conservative household where movies were forbidden, David discovered technology as his gateway to the world he couldn't access. His brother famously snuck out to watch "The Matrix" - an experience that would later inspire their business partnership - while David took a different route, learning to access films through technology.

"I figured out how to get my hands on basically any movie I could watch. And I just watched everything until one day I got a cease and desist letter from the FBI," David recalled. That moment of terror - checking the mail before his parents could find the letter - became a turning point that pushed him toward legitimate technology careers.

This origin story perfectly encapsulates the problem Kino now solves: protecting intellectual property in the film industry. David's early experience with unauthorized content distribution taught him firsthand about the vulnerabilities that filmmakers face when sharing their work.

Building a Career in Government Contracting

David's professional journey began in biometric security, where he spent a decade working on government contracts including the TSA PreCheck system. "We built the software so when you go to the airport, you don't have to take your shoes off," he explained, describing technology that impacts millions of travelers daily.

However, the government contracting environment came with significant limitations. "Working in the government space to get anything approved is a pain. You have to go through all these steps. So you're always working on like outdated technology. It's very hierarchical," David noted.

The hierarchical structure stifled creativity and innovation, with promotions based on tenure rather than contribution. "This person's been here two years longer than you, so they're above you in the totem pole. A lot of stuff like that really stifles creativity and innovation."

Despite the high-impact nature of the work - building systems used across the entire United States - David felt constrained by the rigid processes and outdated technology requirements inherent in government contracting.

The Real Estate Tech Revolution

David's next move to RealTrack, a real estate MLS company, might have seemed like a step backward in terms of visibility and impact. However, it provided the freedom to experiment with team structures and development practices that would later influence his startup approach.

"We really had a lot of control over how we wanted the team dynamics to be and how we wanted to build and operate," David explained. The company implemented radical changes, including completely eliminating traditional engineering titles.

"We completely got rid of titles. So there was no senior engineer, junior engineer, senior principal architect, none of that. And the idea is you would get compensated based off of the value that you're adding," he said.

This approach created a more collaborative environment where junior engineers felt empowered to contribute ideas. "If you've ever been in a meeting where you have a senior engineer and a junior, the senior always dominates the conversation. When the juniors, a lot of times, have really great ideas, a different perspective, a different way of thinking."

The team's transformation was remarkable. When David joined, RealTrack had spent three years building technology that failed upon launch, hurting real estate agents' livelihoods. Over five years, the team implemented new approaches and won "Technology Company of the Year" - providing a satisfying conclusion to that chapter of David's career.

The Birth of Kino

The timing for starting Kino aligned perfectly with both personal circumstances and industry needs. David had recently sold a home, providing startup capital, and his brother's connections in the film industry through work with Jimmy Kimmel, Matt Damon, and Peter Berg revealed significant operational inefficiencies.

"He would call me from set and just talk about the film industry, Hollywood, all the crazy stuff they would do. Just super backwards. They'd be handing people like envelopes full of cash, no good accounting," David recalled.

The company's origin story reads like a startup fairy tale. During a dinner conversation, David's brother mentioned their film technology ideas to friends who happened to include a Sequoia scout. "They're like, 'Oh dude, you got to do this. You have to go build this.' And so that was actually our first check."

Kino addresses a critical vulnerability in film distribution. Before movies reach Netflix or other streaming platforms, filmmakers must share their content with hundreds or thousands of potential buyers. "If one of those thousands of people that you send it to is a bad actor, that movie gets pirated, it can sometimes kill the deal. Netflix isn't going to buy it if it's available on a torrent site."

The company built a highly secure platform that protects films during the crucial pre-distribution phase, serving both major studios through enterprise contracts and smaller filmmakers through affordable entry-level options.

Redefining Engineering Roles

David's approach to hiring engineers reflects broader changes in how technology companies operate. He distinguishes between "feature engineers" and "product engineers" - a framework inspired by Marty Kagan's books on product management.

Feature engineers follow traditional patterns: "Give me my acceptance criteria. I'm going to go write code. I'm going to check every single thing off and push the ticket and it's no longer my problem."

Product engineers take a more holistic approach: "Someone who can explain 'hey here's the intent and the expectation, here's the problem we're trying to solve' and they can go in there, they don't need an acceptance criteria list, they can figure out those things, they can find things that maybe the product manager missed during discovery."

This distinction becomes crucial in small, agile teams where individual contributors must take broader responsibility. "When you're on that small team, you as an individual have to take a lot more responsibilities outside of what you would normally do if you're on a large team."

David's hiring process includes what he calls "the not an asshole test" - evaluating whether candidates are teachable, humble, and willing to listen to colleagues regardless of experience level. "Can you actually put them in a room with someone who is more junior than them and they will listen and understand?"

Navigating AI Integration

David takes a measured approach to AI adoption, avoiding both extremes of complete rejection and blind acceptance. "There's a couple approaches you can go. One, you can go, I'm all in on AI. I'm doing nothing but vibe coding. And then you try to push it out to production and it's on some Vercel app and it's not secure and you have all these issues."

The opposite extreme - complete AI avoidance - poses equal risks. "Engineers might fall into where they get so far behind that they kind of get left in the dust. And then like five years down the road, they realize that I'm kind of obsolete because I don't know how to operate on what is the standard norms."

At Kino, AI serves specific productivity functions. For user research, the team records discovery calls, uses AI to summarize individual sessions, then analyzes patterns across multiple conversations. "We'll drop all of that and we'll say, 'Hey, give me the patterns. What are the things, help me pull out all of these things.' So then it bubbles up to the top like most of the people were talking about this specific thing."

For coding, AI handles routine tasks while engineers focus on complex logic. "I have AI built into my IDE and I will let it stub out and do a lot of the busy work because it can do that in a matter of minutes and it would take me hours. And then I have to go in and I have to write all the meat and potatoes of the code."

The Future of Engineering Careers

David's perspective on career security reflects broader industry changes. The traditional model of staying with one company for decades has given way to more dynamic career paths, accelerated by AI's impact on productivity.

"If I can leverage AI correctly, then I should be able to do the job of five," he noted, explaining why companies like Google and Salesforce are reducing engineering headcount while maintaining output.

This efficiency gain creates both opportunities and challenges. Experienced engineers from major tech companies entering the job market alongside developers from smaller companies creates increased competition. "You have someone that lives in Nashville, worked at a few like medical places here and there. They submit their resume alongside someone who's been at Google for ten years."

David advocates for continuous growth and regular market assessment. His former manager at RealTrack suggested annual job interviews regardless of satisfaction with current roles. "If you turn those jobs down and you stay, then you're not wondering if you're missing opportunities. You're staying and you know you're staying here and you're more motivated to be here."

This approach builds confidence and maintains interview skills while providing market intelligence about opportunities and compensation trends.

Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

David's transition from corporate security to startup leadership offers several key insights for professionals considering similar moves:

Timing Matters: Multiple factors aligned for David's startup launch - personal financial stability, industry connections through his brother, and investor interest through chance encounters.

Growth Requires Discomfort: Moving from high-profile government work to real estate technology seemed like a step backward but provided opportunities for leadership and innovation impossible in more constrained environments.

Team Culture Drives Results: Eliminating traditional hierarchies and focusing on value creation rather than tenure can dramatically improve team performance and innovation.

Market Validation Through Relationships: Having industry connections who understand real problems provides crucial validation and customer development opportunities.

Financial Preparation: Being able to accept reduced compensation during startup phases requires advance planning and financial cushioning.

Building Remote-First Teams

Kino operates as a fully distributed company with team members across the United States and Canada. While most employees work from Los Angeles due to film industry proximity, David leads from Birmingham, Alabama, demonstrating that remote leadership can be effective in creative industries.

The company's small team structure enables rapid decision-making and close collaboration despite geographic distribution. "We set people up with like product manager and a few engineers. And they are this small nimble team that can go and work really, really well."

This approach requires hiring engineers who can operate with greater autonomy and cross-functional collaboration than traditional large-team environments demand.

Industry-Specific Insights

David's experience in film technology reveals broader lessons about industry disruption and modernization. The film industry's reliance on outdated practices - "handing people envelopes full of cash, no good accounting" - created opportunities for technology solutions.

However, industry adoption requires understanding both technical requirements and cultural dynamics. Kino's success depends not just on building secure technology but on earning trust from creative professionals who may be skeptical of technological solutions.

The company's dual focus on major studios and independent filmmakers reflects understanding that industry transformation requires serving both established players and emerging creators.

Looking Forward

David's advice for career development emphasizes adaptability and continuous learning. "Not to be afraid of stepping out and trying new things. The biggest challenge that a lot of us face is the fear of the unknown."

His perspective on AI's long-term impact is realistic but not alarmist. While acknowledging that automation will eventually handle much routine development work, he sees current AI tools as productivity enhancers rather than job replacements.

For parents considering their children's career paths, David suggests looking beyond traditional programming toward robotics and hardware, though he acknowledges that even these fields may eventually face automation challenges.

Conclusion

David Fannin's journey from corporate engineering management to startup leadership illustrates how career pivots can leverage existing skills while pursuing new opportunities. His experience demonstrates that sometimes the most rewarding career moves involve trading security and prestige for growth potential and creative freedom.

The key insights from David's story center on timing, preparation, and willingness to embrace uncertainty. His transition succeeded because he combined technical expertise with industry knowledge, financial preparation with relationship building, and innovation with practical business understanding.

For engineering professionals considering career changes, David's experience shows that corporate experience provides valuable foundation for entrepreneurship, but success requires adapting leadership styles, embracing new technologies, and building teams that can operate effectively in dynamic environments.

Most importantly, David's story demonstrates that career satisfaction often comes from aligning personal values with professional opportunities, even when that alignment requires taking calculated risks and stepping outside traditional career trajectories.

This blog post summarizes insights from Guidance Counselor 2.0, a live streaming show hosted by Taylor Desseyn that explores career development in the tech industry. Find more episodes of the show here: Guidance Counselor 2.0